Izumi's Tsukuyomi
by MaiaNishikawa23
Summary: In Itachi's Shinden, he puts Izumi in a long tsukuyomi where they live their life together. In it, Izumi becomes chuunin, marries Itachi, and retires from being a ninja. They have children who start their own lives and finally Itachi nurses her in their last years when she grows ill. But the shinden never goes into detail. This is the story of their happy, peaceful life together.
1. Intro

Author's Note: Spoiler alert for those who would like to read the English translated shinden first and have not yet! I have read the entire 'unofficial' english translation and I'll be including some of what I learned from it in here, such as Izumi's backstory, how her mother dies, and Itachi's thoughts. In the Itachi Shinden, Itachi kills Izumi, the girl who both admired and had romantic feelings towards Itachi first. However, he does not do this out of romantic love for her, because repeatedly in the shinden it is written that he could not think of her as more than a friend. They were not lovers, people just assumed they were a couple. Itachi decided to end her life first because it would help him to move forward in killing the rest of his clan with 'Madara' directly afterward. Itachi puts the girl in an extremely powerful Tsukuyomi in which she becomes chuunin, marries Itachi and retires from being a ninja, has children with him, the children move out and start their own lives, Itachi grows old with her, he nurses her as she becomes ill, and finally she dies with him as a happy, eighty year old woman. Izumi dies in his arms, enveloped in happiness. Itachi thanks her for loving him and she dies with a smile. But these scenes never go into detail! This fanfiction will go into more detail through the entire life they share together, each chapter being a part of the genjutsu.

Additionally, I wanted to clarify whether or not the shinden is cannon or not. While the episodes were completely made up off of the shinden and not cannon, the shinden is actually technically half cannon. Kishimoto never wrote it or illustrated anything himself, but he did say that whatever is in the shinden did in fact happen in Itachi's real story. So I suppose it's up to the reader to decide if they want to view the genjutsu as cannon or not.

I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Izumi was eleven years old.

She sat at the table with her mother, laughing until they could hardly breathe. They had just finished dinner, and she had already done all of her chores, so now the two of them had time to unwind and catch up on their days together. Their dinner conversations had become a happy nightly ritual. Since her father died, Izumi had become very close with her mother, the only other immediate family member she had. She knew that talking together helped her mother to fill the missing space her father had filled, who they both had loved so dearly.

But tonight was different. The young kunoichi felt a new stillness in the air, a heaviness that her mother didn't seem to notice. Was it because of the coup de tat? Izumi had not been allowed into the last meeting, so she wasn't sure how long they had. Certainly, she could be picking up on the tension felt by all of the adults. Perhaps she was simply anxious because of how frustrated and powerless Itachi had looked on that day, the last time she had seen him one month ago.

She thought back to how she had followed him out of the gathering place after he had failed to convince them all to stop the coup. She had grabbed into his shoulder, begging him to try just once more. Itachi had angrily shook her hand off his shoulder and walked away without turning back as if he had barely seen her. Izumi's heart sank. Itachi had never cared for her in the same way she cared for him. And why would he? Izumi, a recent genin who's hardest missions were when the Damyo's cat would run away and she had to chase him was no potential match for someone who was already a captain in the ANBU. No, he would never be with her. Izumi's mother noticed her young daughter's eyes grow distant and sad.

"It's that boy you're thinking of, isn't it?" She asked. Izumi blushed, but there was no way she could hide the truth. Her mother knew her better than anyone.

"I just hope he's okay…" she trailed off. Her mother gave her a warm smile.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Here. I'll wash our dishes." Her mother gave a warm smile that had always comforted her daughter. She had the same brown straight hair, which fell slightly shorter on her back as she stood up and gathered both their bowls, placing them in the kitchen. "You should talk to more of the boys your age who are genin. You have so much life ahead of you, it's a shame you spend so much of it worrying about the things you can't change. Enjoy your youth while you can. You can join the ANBU later." Izumi chuckled.

"You're right. Tomorrow I'll make plans with Megumi and Yukata. I haven't seen them in a while." Her mother nodded, approvingly.

"The ANBU is a dark place, I've heard. They don't just wear those masks to keep their enemies guessing. They wear them to hide from the villagers too. I'm sure Itachi must wish he was in your shoes instead of doing the village's dirty work." No sooner had she finished her sentence, they heard a 'thunk' near the front door. Izumi's mother turned her head.

"Now what could that be? I'll go check it out." Izumi sat tight at the table as her mother put down the dish she had been washing. Her mother, with her beautiful, weary face and a long yellow dress walked past her, turning the corner.

Silence.

And then a heavy thud on the ground. Izumi waited but she didn't come back.

"Mother?" Izumi called. But there was no reply. Immediately, the girl felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Her heart began to beat a little faster.

What was going on?

Izumi stood up to see what her mother had found. But when she turned the corner, she was met with the sight she least expected.

Her dear mother lay unconscious or dead on the ground, and standing next to her, the young man she admired the most. He wore the standard ANBU uniform with a katana strapped to his back, mask in his hand. In his glowing red eyes, Izumi saw tortured dismay. In that moment, she understood what he had to do.

"Itachi-" But Itachi couldn't bear to hear her voice any more.

"Tsukuyomi." In an instant, Izumi's head clouded with more chakra than she could even imagine. And for but a moment, there was no more.

* * *

Izumi was twelve years old.

The lush, green trees blew in the gentle breeze, surrounding the training field of the Uchiha compound. Birds chirped, and the sun shone brightly overhead. It was peaceful here. Izumi felt slender fingers wrap around her own. To her right, Itachi stood by her side. He smiled at her warmly and in his eyes there was no more pain. They were happy.

"Welcome to our new life, Izumi."

-To be Continued!-


	2. Youth

Author's Note: In this chapter, I had to make a hard plot decision. Studying Itachi's Tsukuyomi technique, it is clear that every single person he takes into it has memories of what it was like before they were inside it. Kakashi was in it for the longest time period we saw ("3 days") and he was aware of the outside world presumably for the entire time. Even if Itachi was to make a super powerful one where all the details of the outside world were kept the same (same color scheme, same features and behavior of each person etc) Izumi would still have to remember what just happened in the last chapter in order for my story to be realistic and true to the jutsu. However, I do want Izumi to be happy in this story, so I figured out a little way to get around the initial sadness, with Itachi outsmarting her. :)

* * *

"Welcome to our new life," Itachi said, gently.

Slowly, he watched her understanding of what had happened sank in.

"What did you do? Where are we?" she asked in a soft voice, laden with fear and confusion. Itachi deliberated with himself how much he would tell her. In the end, he decided to mostly come clean.

"You're under my genutsu. This genjutsu called the Tsukuyomi will provide an alternate reality for the both of us to live in." Izumi remembered the real reality. Her mother had fallen to the ground, unresponsive.

"And my mother?" Itachi's eyes revealed slight sadness.

"Forgive me… there was simply nothing I could do. I only had enough chakra to give this to you before I went forward with the plan." The girl's eyes filled with tears at his words.

"The village… they made you stop the coup… they made you kill everyone, didn't they!?" She looked at her dear friend with dismay, but instead of anger at him, she simply felt grief for her clan, pity for the boy only slightly older than herself who the village had made into their weapon, to shoulder the burden all himself. Slowly, he nodded his head yes.

The tears poured over the brunette's cheeks. Izumi began to sob, leaning her head against his shoulder. Her arm slowly wrapped around him. Slightly against his nature, he held her there. Itachi let the girl cry into him, mourning the loss of her mother, the clan, the corruption of the village, and his own fate.

"Why… w-why did you choose to take me into this jutsu?"

"Because even with the knowledge of the coup, you remained un-corrupted. Like Shisui and myself, you wished they could have come up with an alternative. Izumi, you deserve a have a happy life free of pain and worry. I wanted you to live the life you dreamed of."

"But how am I supposed to be happy when I know that outside this genjutsu, everyone in our clan is going to die?!" Her normally high, light voice was laced with the frustration she felt tighten her chest. But the illusion Itachi kept calm.

"Because by the end of this week, this reality will begin to become more real to you than the other. Like the moon wanes through the passage of time, so too does the tsukuyomi. To be more precise, the longer my jutsu continues, the deeper your mind accepts the illusion as reality until the outside world is forgotten." Izumi nodded, understanding. What Itachi neglected to mention, was that as the moon waxes, the girl would begin to remember the outside world nearing the jutsu's end.

"So I'm supposed to just accept that this world is real? It's an illusion!" Her fists clenched. Izumi was clearly not in the mindset to see the bright side of things. Itachi tried to pull some explanation together to convince her otherwise, if only to ease her temporary discomfort.

"Reality is merely determined by one's senses and subjective experiences recorded within the mind. Your neurons are still firing to provide you with senses and experiences, are they not? Look all around you. Do your surroundings appear any less real?" Izumi looked again at the peaceful billowing trees, all the while thinking of something to retort.

"Everything looks exactly as it was… Reality might be determined by the brain's perceptions, but only if their brain is functioning normally! When you disrupt the flow of chakra, it's not real!" Itachi gave a small smile.

"I'm impressed by your intellect. Even if your chakra is distorted, from your subjective experience it is still your reality. You could argue that there is also an objective reality independent of our limited sensory experiences, but because we have no reliable way to determine that, the reality we can determine will always be subjective. If you want to ease your discomfort, I suggest thinking of this reality not as 'false' but as 'alternate.'

Izumi thought of that, slightly dissatisfied and slightly confused. Itachi was brilliant, and he was speaking at an intellectual level that almost passed her limit. But unlike most of her peers, she understood.

"This is all I can give you. And I wish I could have given you more. But here, you will be happy and walk down the right path, free of the village's corruption. Here, we can live out all of our dreams and be together. Izumi, will you join me?" Itachi brushed a strand of long hair out of her face. Izumi looked deep into her friend's shining eyes as he smiled at her fondly.

"I will." No sooner had she conceded, did a familiar figure in a long yellow dress and an apron walk towards them. It was her mother.

"Izumi, where have you been? I made us some lunch!" Izumi could hardly believe her eyes.

"Mother!" The girl ran to her, hugging her tightly. The woman looked amused and surprised.

"What's gotten into you? It's not as if you've gotten back from an overnight mission." The girl looked up and knew that to her mother, nothing had happened. Today was just a normal day as any.

"Nothing, I'm just happy to see you, that's all." The woman looked behind her to see Itachi standing there quietly.

"And of course you're with Itachi. I apologize if I interrupted the two of you." Izumi sensed a hint of teasing in her mother's voice, but Itachi ignored it.

"Not at all, we had only been on a walk."

* * *

Izumi's mother invited the young man over for lunch, which he politely accepted. Together, the three walked into the village. People walked by going about their business, as if today was an ordinary day. Izumi noticed that everyone seemed to be in high spirits. An elderly man playing shogi by a shop waved and smiled at Itachi respectfully.

"It's so peaceful," Izumi noted to her mother.

"Well how could it not be? After the negotiations between the Uchiha and the Village, we couldn't be happier."

"Negotiations?" Her mother laughed and looked at her befuddled, then towards Itachi and back at her.

"Itachi, you didn't disorient her with genjutsu did you? You know the negotiations I mean! It was you who had the idea after all!" Izumi looked away from her mother in awkward silence. Itachi interjected.

"Izumi and I went to the library for a few hours. It sometimes takes her a while to get out of a book she loves and back into reality." Her mother nodded, knowingly and in a teasing voice she explained.

"It was you, silly, who brought Itachi back at the last meeting and came up with the alteration to the list of conditions in order to stop the coup. The Hokage would have never given over his position to the head of the Uchiha the way we demanded. Instead of requesting Fugaku be named fifth hokage, you convinced Shisui to help advocate for a new plan." Izumi hesitantly nodded her head, pretending to understand. Her mother laughed.

"For goodness sakes, Izumi what were you reading? Together, Shisui and yourself proposed that another Uchiha, just as loyal to the village as he was to the clan take his father's place in the future. We agreed to make peace with the village on the condition that when both the Hokage and the Damyo determined he was ready, the new Hokage be a more well fit Uchiha." Izumi could hardly believe what she thought she was hearing. Itachi, who was walking along side her, gave a wide grin, eyes gleaming.

"Izumi, I was elected future Hokage. That is, as long as I can continue to prove to Hiruzen that I will be capable." The girl gasped out loud, but midway she remembered it was right to not act surprised.

"Oh, of course that's what happened! I thought you referring to something else. Silly me. Sorry, sorry!" She apologized. Behind her mother's back, turning to Itachi, she beamed at him, almost tearing up. After knowing Itachi for as long as she had there was no mistake, no other person could bring more peace to the Village and to the Uchiha than Itachi. And with time, she was certain Hiruzen would train him to be the leader the Village would accept.

"I have an idea," Izumi said. "In order to celebrate your nomination, let's celebrate for lunch! Mom, before lunch, lets go to the dumpling shop and buy tri-colored dango!" Her mother laughed, and Itachi smiled.

"Great idea!" She said, fake punching the sky.

The sun shone overhead, bright on such a warm summer day. Izumi ate with Itachi sitting close by her side. Her mother laughed across from them at the same table they had been eating at what felt like only an hour before.

* * *

Izumi was thirteen years old.

She wiped a thin layer of sweat from her brow underneath her headband as she breathed heavily.

"That was very good," Itachi complemented, dropping his sword. "You're able to use your sharringan for almost a full fifteen minutes now." Izumi had always been comfortable training with him, who was leagues above her. No matter the gap between their ability, he had never been patronizing and was often impressed.

"It makes all the difference to be able to see through and predict your next moves," Izumi admitted. Her head was reeling. The use of her kekkei genkai still drained her chakra more than she had anticipated. She bent down, placing her hands on her knees to steady herself. "Whoo!" she exhaled, exhausted. Itachi chuckled.

"You're low on chakra is that it?" The young man walked towards her, handing her his bottle of water. Izumi gratefully took it, pouring some into her mouth without touching the nozzle to her lips. "Let's find a shady area where you can meditate and build your reserves." The girl gave him an unenthusiastic expression, raising her arms in near exhasparation.

"Oh Itachi you know I'm no good at meditating!" It was true. Even during the training sessions in the academy, she had always found it difficult to still her mind in order to build up the spiritual component of her chakra.

"That's precisely why you need to practice it. You're a hard worker when it comes to honing your combat skills. You try hard and it pays off. The trick to meditation, is that you have to stop trying at all. Instead of putting in effort to still your mind, you have to simply allow your mind to rest. Effort is in the mind. If you try, you won't stop thinking scattered." Izumi's eyebrows rose in surprise. She had never thought of it that way. Once they reached a tree, she sat down underneath its trunk. Itachi sat next to her several feet away.

"I just don't know if this is all worth it. The chuunin exams are in only a month. If I just keep developing my taijutsu and ninjutsu and practice my survival skills, that should be enough for me to get _at least_ through the second exam…" Itachi shot her a disapproving look.

"Why plan on passing the first two exams? You want to be a splendid ninja like your father don't you? If you hope to pass, you'll have to plan not only to use what you know, but be pushed to your limit." His stern voice returned to its normal casual, gentleness he normally addressed her in. "Izumi, I know your fighting better than anyone. Don't you trust me?" Itachi's voice rose in a friendly tone at the last question. Izumi smiled.

"Of course I trust you.."

"Meditation will increase your chakra reserves for all types of jutsu, and it might even enable you to sustain genjutsu. Take deep breaths and focus your chakra. I'll be here with you the whole time."

Izumi closed her eyes and followed his instructions, focusing on her breathing. Her thoughts passed in and out like clouds. Itachi was a captain of the Anbu, often incredibly busy. The fact that he took so much of his little spare time to train with her and be with her spoke volumes.

Timeless moments later, they awoke from the trance.

"You know, sometimes meditation is strange for me. When I close my eyes and concentrate for a while, it almost makes me feel as if nothing around me is really real." Itachi nodded.

"That's actually a fairly common symptom of meditation. Don't worry about it, okay?" She thought about that for a moment, but nodded. Soon, they heard a familiar voice.

"How come I didn't think of it right off the bat? When have I not been able to find you when you weren't with Izumi?" Shisui was standing above them blocking the sun, hand on his hip. "I hope I'm not disturbing you two love birds," he teased.

"Shisui!" Izumi almost shouted at him. She turned away from Itachi, hiding her cheeks which felt hot. Itachi stayed calm, dismissing his friend's prodding with maturity beyond his years.

"I thought I'd help Izumi train. The chuunin exams are coming soon and she's almost ready." Shisui looked at the blushing kunoichi with a knowing smile.

"That's right, I had almost forgotten. Well in that case, I won't ask if you'd like to do a few laps around the village. You're probably tired."

"I'm sure I can fit in at least a lap." Itachi looked at the now non-blushing Izumi as if to check up on her. "Izumi, would you like to come join us?" She gave a bashful smile.

"I'd love to, if you'd let me." Itachi helped her up. But to her surprise, her legs gave out. Izumi tumbled down, face bumping into Itachi's side. He caught her mid-fall just in time. The girl laughed at herself as he knelt down on one knee to bring her back up.

"Did your legs go numb?" He smirked.

"I guess. I'm sorry to have fallen into you, Itachi! Sorry sorry!" Her hands rose in front of her, palms facing him in an apologetic gesture. In front of them, Shisui crossed his arms, still smiling knowingly.

"If we want to get back to the compound before dinner, we'd better get a move on. That is, if you two can stop flirting."

"Shisui, we are not flirting!" Izumi scolded. "I just fell!"

The man rolled his eyes and under his breath he mumbled 'Sure'. "Alright, it's a race this time. On my count."

The three young ninja took off at the count of three, headed for the village's entrance. Shisui took the lead and Izumi followed just behind Itachi. The girl laughed at the fact the two ANBU and herself were playing such a childish game. But more than that, her life felt totally complete.

Itachi was chasing his dream, following Shisui's example. Izumi looked at Itachi behind her and thought to herself how much she wanted to follow in his footsteps, even now after all these years. And one day, maybe after she made chuunin, she would walk by his side.


	3. Teenagers 1

Izumi was fourteen years old.

She sat at a desk alongside fifty three other prospective chuunin. Most were much older than her, and significantly more threatening. In front of her, a page of ten questions, only two of which she knew the answer to. Butterflies in her stomach, she realized that her teammates probably knew none of the answers, leaving the test up to her. It wasn't that she blamed herself; how could a gennin possibly have enough knowledge to answer these questions? But would a final score of two really be enough to pass?

She thought of what had just happened not even two hours ago. Itachi had walked with her to the room himself, easing her anxieties. As a captain of the ANBU, him walking her to the door and giving her support meant a lot. Then, to her surprise, he had patted her on the shoulder. He rarely made physical contact with anyone he wasn't sparring with.

"I know you can do it," he said and smiled. Izumi knew that Itachi believed in her. But could she believe in herself?

Then, several spaces down to her right, she noticed a young man filling in his own test. Her eyes widened as she realized what she had to do. Itachi and Shisui were right; she had everything she needed to pass the first exam with her already. Wary of the proctor and the sentinels around them, she pretended to be frustrated, and pushed her hair to partially obscure her eyes.

The goal of this exam was simple. She would just have to stay conscious.

Stay conscious.

"Sharringan," she mumbled, and began copying down the answers. Five answers in, she began to get dizzy. But the thought of succeeding and being one step closer to her goal drove her forward. What was her goal? Becoming a splendid shinobi just as her father and the person she admired most had done.

Her pencil dropped just as she finished the last question. She hadn't even read what she wrote to know if it made sense. She had just copied down the movements of the man to the right of her up near the front. Her head reeled, but her training had paid off. What only three months ago would have made her feint, now was manageable.

Behind her, her teammates had seen what she had done and by now understood they must use their abilities to complete the test. Hitoru Yamanaka could take control of her thoughts if he would like, and then relay them to Shizuko with mirrors or his mind transfer jutsu again. Completed, their final score would be a total of 30 points, the highest possible.

Half an hour later, the proctor, a jounin, explained the goal was to encourage cheating just as she had suspected. They were dismissed without further ado.

* * *

"One down, two left to go!" the girl said in a hopeful tone. Itachi and Shisui walked alongside her through the Uchiha complex.

"Good for you," Shisui politely congratulated her. Izumi had mostly seen Shisui when Itachi was around. But because he seemed to be around her a lot more often lately, she had gotten to know the elder Uchiha more as well. "

Itachi looked at her and she could tell something was on his mind. He seemed nervous. His elder friend noticed it too, looking at him with a sly smirk. What could be up with that? She thought.

"Alright, I've got to go take care of my father. He's ill, and he needs me to look after him. I'll see the two of you later." Itachi looked at him, almost anxiously but his face was just out of sight so Izumi couldn't quite tell. As their friend walked down the road, the conversation they had been having stopped. For a moment they walked in silence, Itachi looking down at the ground as if deep in thought.

"Itachi, is everything alright?" The now sixteen year old boy looked up from his thoughts with a smile as if nothing had happened.

"Everything's fine. Izumi... will you walk with me?" The words came out of his lips as if they had been pushed out. "There's something I want to ask you..."

The boardwalk near the small lake was the place the two often went to talk together since their youth, so Izumi knew that was where he was leading her. It would be evening soon, and they didn't have much time before they would have to part for dinner. Even though their discussions near the water were normal, Izumi sensed her friend's unease as they came to the lake. He still seemed lost in thought.

"So the first exam, how easy was it for you?"

"When I saw a man writing down answers, I knew I had to use the sharingan. It made me a little dizzy, but thanks to your help I could manage." Itachi gave a small smile of satisfaction, which turned to a thoughtful frown.

"I see. So you still plan on taking the second exam, then?" It was a peculiar question. Izumi had been training to make chuunin for months with him, yet now it seemed like he wanted her to stop.

"Of course..." Why was Itachi thinking so hard? It was as if he was trying to take a larger meaning out of their simple exchange.

"Let me tell you about the second exam. It's tough for many. There are giant animals and the other teams won't go easy on you."

"I know that," Izumi defended. "That's why my team and I prepared for anything that can happen. My sharingan might not be reliable, but I excel in taijutsu and my ninjutsu is almost as good. If we work together as a team, we should be able to make it out without getting to hurt from others."

"Izumi, it's more than just getting hurt in a spar. Each year people die, and your opponents won't spare you just because of your age. If you go up against a team who is much stronger, surrender and run back to the entrance." Surrender? Itachi had never before talked in such a way to her. His words began to hurt.

"How could I surrender when a splendid shinobi never gives up in the face of danger? Why are you saying this after training with me all this time?"

"I know you are strong, and I know you'll be able to handle almost anything that comes your way. But the chunnin exams happen twice in a year, and it's not something worth losing your life over." His warnings confused her, and her hurt grew.

"I thought you believed in me... I thought you said I could do this... now I see I must have been fooling myself." Izumi lowered her head and began to take a few steps away. "I'm sorry Itachi." Itachi realized his words had the wrong effect on her.

"I didn't mean it that way. You are strong enough and you can win your battles. When you receive instructions from your proctor and the exam begins, run to the center of the forest as fast as you can. That will give you time to asses the abilities of other groups around you." She shook her head, still upset at his words.

"You told me the basics of the second exam before, so I already came up with that strategy myself. Why are you treating me like you don't trust in my abilities?!" Her eyes began to water from being rejected by the one she cared for most. If he didn't trust her, she would continue without him for herself and her teammates.

"I'm telling you because I want to protect you!" Itachi raised his voice to her back in exasperation. "I don't want to lose you!" The girl turned again to face him. His arm had outstretched as if reaching for her to come back. It was clear by his expression his words surprised even him after they had come out. Izumi was even more surprised at the sudden burst.

"You don't want... to lose me?" the words sounded like gold in her mouth. Itachi suddenly looked nervous, withdrawing his hand.

"I... I value you highly... as a friend." Izumi looked at him closely. His eyes lowered, as if disappointed in himself. A small smile formed on the girl's lips. She walked closer to him, looking him straight in the eye.

"I value you highly too. And I promise, I won't put my life at risk in the forest for you."

* * *

Covered in dirt and scrapes, Izumi grabbed the heaven scroll out of her knocked out opponent's pack. Her head pounded from using a lot of chakra, but she could sense her growth. Hitoru and Shizuko walked up behind her. Through each trial in the forest, tey had fought as a team perfectly, without hardly having to communicate their intentions to one anther. This was the reason they were ready to become chuunin.

"A heaven scroll!" Hitoru said. "Yes! Now we just have to walk over to our entrance into the tower."

They had been in the forest for three days. No one had gotten too injured, but it had pushed them further than they had prepared for. Not only had it pushed them physically and spiritually, but Izumi had seen someone die. The memory would not leave her mind.

Izumi had sensed the presence of two teams nearby, and together they had agreed to watch, in hopes of seeing their level of strength and skills. One team, several men from the Land of Wind, had brutally cut through the first two opponents, leaving them unconscious. The third, a man from the Leaf who had talked big, was then at the mercy of three opponents. One sand ninja had grabbed him by the throat, holding him up as he gagged and pleaded for mercy. Izumi had been paralyzed by internal conflict the entire time, and in the end listened to her teammates who urged her to move back. She had seen another man who stabbed him in the stomach. The leaf shinobi had screamed in a way that was both so vulnerable, yet bloodcurdling. Her teammates pulled her away, and she had run off. But the gruesome sight sent her back to the memory of her Father's downfall, spinning her into another spiral of guilt and trauma. If they all had been strong enough, more courageous, then perhaps those men would still be alive.

Now, her teammates voice shook her from her internal warfare.

"Let's go. I want to beat my brother's record, so we need to hurry as fast as we can," instructed Hitoru, who was the leader personality of the group.

In three days, one hour, and eleven minutes, her team had passed the second exam.

* * *

It was past dinner, and the two had decided to meet up after he had finished meeting with the Hokage.

"Itachi?" Izumi said in a soft voice. The two of them sat atop the great stone faces, overlooking the village. Itachi's eyes were fixed on the Hokage's House. Itachi often worked with Lord Third these days, so they met at this spot more often.

"Does watching people die ever get easier?" It was a question she never thought she would ask him. After watching him nearly explode from frustration one day after a mission, Izumi had made a point to avoid talking about the missions that must be very painful for him. As a friend, she wanted to give him an escape from all of that. But after their last talk, Izumi had become more open with him, feeling as if she could talk to him about anything, just as he had let out his thoughts before the exam. If he valued her as a friend, then it was okay to talk about anything, wasn't it? The boy sighed thoughtfully.

"In a way, yes. After many missions I have become desensitized to it. But the fact I have become desensitized to the pain and suffering of other people is nearly as troubling. You saw someone die in the second exam, is that it?"

"How did you know?" Itachi smirked.

"You've been quieter lately. More to yourself. Seeing that upset you, didn't it?" Izumi lowered her head, as if to protect him from her own sadness.

"It made me think of my father, how if I had been stronger I would have been able to save him. If we hadn't been focused on protecting ourselves and finishing the exam, my team would have let me save him, a leaf ninja too. How can I call myself a ninja if I couldn't even save a comrade?" Itachi turned to her with his compassionate eyes.

"You can't save everyone, Izumi. In battle a shinobi must make decisions that are never easy. We must sacrifice our common morals to finish the task at hand." Izumi's eyebrows furrowed. Was each mission really so much more important than a human life?

"It just feels so wrong." Itachi chuckled and nodded.

"I'm glad to hear you feel that way. It's the same for me, and the reason I train so hard to become Hokage."

"Huh? What do you mean? How would you becoming Hokage save everyone?" Itachi lowered his head, looking at his hands intensely, thinking hard. It was clear he was debating his next words.

"It's... it's something I've never told anyone." He spoke quietly, as if debating to tell something extremely personal. That made Izumi excited.

"You can tell me! I promise, I won't tell anyone and I won't judge." The girl scooted closer to him, until her arm was almost touching his. Itachi looked into her big brown eyes, which were enough to make anyone feel safe to open up. He hesitated, but spoke.

"It's because my dream... my dream is to become an Uchiha Hokage... so I can eliminate all conflicts. In a world without wars, there would be no need for ninja, and with no one to kill each other, the cycle of hatred would cease... I want to eliminate the fighting... and to create a world of peace. In a world of peace, tragedies like your father's and our clan's would never happen again." Hearing Itachi's words brought Izumi almost into tears. It was the perfect dream for him, a dream only he had the chance of accomplishing. He looked up at her bashfully, whose face was smiling warmly.

"I want that too. And I believe that of all people in this village, you can do it the best. You'll be the best Hokage who ever lived, Itachi!" Itachi looked at her half surprised, and half as if he might tear up in front of her. She could tell he wanted it more than anything.

"You really think so?" Without thinking, Izumi grabbed his hand.

"Sure! An Uchiha who is both close to the village and to his clan could smooth any other tensions between the two. You can lead the village with your strength and kindness, and other leaders could learn from your compassion. And I'm sure someone as smart as you could think of a way to stop the fighting." The girl let out a giggle, not caring of her affectionate feelings were showing.

"I'm still inexperienced." Itachi always had a hard time noticing his greatness, focused on the work still left to be done.

"That's what you're training with Hiruzen and going on high rank missions for. I'm sure that by the time he's ready to pass on his title, you'll be fit to lead the village.. and your clan," Izumi felt her cheeks grow warm at the thought of the last part. Itachi's eyes widened at the thought too. But she realized that he might not want to think about such thoughts after a potentially stressful day. "I'm sorry to have made you think about that if you didn't want to. Sorry, sorry!" But he shook his head, indicating it wasn't a problem.

"I confess, with all of my training to become Hokage, I sometimes forget my second role." Izumi nodded.

"It's not harder is it? You just have to lead a smaller group of people the same way you would the village."

"And find a wife to have a family with," he stated matter-of-factly, not normally one to beat around the bush. But Izumi could see even in the darkness of the night that his cheeks began to flush slightly. The idea they could be sharing the same thoughts caught her off guard.

"You don't have to worry about that yet though. You're sixteen after all. You have a lot of time to figure it all out." Itachi leaned back a little and looked to her then, face more serious.

"Izumi, if I'm to fulfill my roles, and you to become chunnin, we both need to get stronger." Izumi nodded in agreement. "If your dream is the same as mine, will you support me through it?" Izumi was surprised at his recent openness to her. He, an A rank shinobi and the Hokage's trainee was asking for her help? She smiled.

"Always." Itachi smirked, watching the sparkles in her eyes as she looked up to the sky.

"Thank you." Her gaze shifted to her hand, as she felt his warm, slender fingers take hold of it. He didn't say anything more, and together they sat in silence, watching the night sky, letting mutual feelings go unspoken.

* * *

One month later, the third exam was tomorrow.

"Go," the low, calm voice of the young ANBU captain rang in her ear. Itachi stood by as the fight began, to observe her chakra flow while she tried her new technique. Izumi unleashed her sharringan on Shisui, whose own eyes were inactive. He came at her, first with kicks and punches, then with firestyle ninjutsu. Izumi could evade his taijutsu without much trouble, as long as he wasn't using body flicker. Still, it was clear he was fighting with less than half of his strength.

"Water style! Water fountain jutsu!" A fountain of water shot from her mouth, turning the pheonix flower jutsu into steam.

"She has a second chakra nature? Itachi, you never told me that!" Shisui looked back at Itachi, who smirked. Izumi took this as her opportunity to hide in a nearby tree, almost completely erasing her presence.

The mist slowly cleared, and Izumi carefully wove hand signs for another jutsu. With all her focus, she gathered her chakra for her last attack.

Then she waited. A minute passed.

Shisui turned towards her in the tree, giving her a thumbs up and a smile.

"I felt it the entire time! Good job, Izumi." Izumi smiled back, wiping sweat from her brow. The illusion had been successfully cast and maintained. The girl jumped down from the tree, joining the two boys.

"If Izumi could last a few minutes doing taijutsu and ninjutsu, then cast even a simple genjutsu, she should be ready to go up against her opponents and win." Itachi gave her a fond smile and a nod of approval.

"I think you're right. If the prospective candidates are anything like what we went up against becoming chuunin, Izumi has a fair chance."

"Thank you both for training with me," the girl said with a warm smile. She considered herself very lucky to have gotten training help from two fighters as undefeated as these two. Shisui gave her another thumbs up.

"I have to go. I'm supposed to be gathering a team to stage an infiltration, and I leave tomorrow. It shouldn't take too long, I'll be back by the end of the exams."

"Good luck, Shisui!" Izumi couldn't help but feel stronger than she was when hearing about his missions, as if talking with him made her better by association.

"Don't you too have _too much_ fun while I'm gone!" he shot back at them, walking off. Izumi blushed.

"Shisui..." Itachi mumbled, in a tone that could only resemble the way a younger brother protesting the older's teasing. Itachi looked away from her then.

"It's getting closer to evening. We should be headed back for dinner soon," Itachi spoke to her in a softer tone than he addressed others in. Today, the idea of him leaving seemed wrong.

"You're right," she agreed, but disappointment seeped through her voice. Itachi had that same look he often did recently, as if he was contemplating something.

"Izumi I..."

"Yes?" She looked up at the perplexed Uchiha, curious. Was he going to ask her to come with him?

"Well... it's nothing."

"Oh, okay." She half turned away, again disappointed. "Itachi, will you be in the audience at the third exam?" Itachi gave a soft smirk and nodded.

"I took off a mission to watch you. I'll be sitting near the front so you can see me." She smiled wide and gasped. Itachi had made so much time for her in the past few months which meant a lot because of his busy schedule. But to have taken off a mission to see her in the exams meant even more, if that was possible. It wasn't like him to do something like that even for Shisui, unless he specifically requested it. It seemed as if he was clearly showing her how much he cared.

"Thank you, Itachi," she turned her head to hide a blush. They departed soon after, and when dinner ended Izumi went to bed early in mental preparation for the most trying fight she had been in to this day.

* * *

Izumi wiped sweat from her brow in near exhaustion. Her opponent was one most fitting. It was one of the same shinobi who she had seen kill a leaf ninja in the Forest of Death, sneered at her. He fought with an umbrella which spun to unleash needles and other weapons. Izumi spun to her left and ran to dodge another flurry of needles, parrying the ones she couldn't dodge with her kunai. The young man made a hand sign and began to turn the ground beneath them into mud. Izumi aimed a fireball at the ground and at him, drying and hardening the mud. Her head was getting dizzy, she was almost at the end of her reserves. The young man smirked.

"You can't defeat me, you're just a coward." His words surprised the girl.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me. You and your silly teammates underestimated my abilities. While I was in the forest, killing that miserable excuse for a leaf ninja, I sensed you and even had time to gather information about you! For that reason, you will undeniably fail." Izumi gasped. Did he really have sensory abilities so strong he sensed her muted chakra from a distance while in battle? What had he learned about her? The man hurled another flurry of needles, thicker and denser than the last. Izumi was on the defensive.

"You couldn't even save a single comrade. What kind of ninja are you to your village if you simply hide in the trees? You're nothing, and you will never amount to anything but a coward!" Izumi was transported to the scene of the man's death, screaming in agony and to her father. This opponent was taking advantage of the girl's mind, and it was working. How could she be chunnin if she couldn't even save one person? Who did she think she was anyways?

Izumi looked up and to her right, at the audience. There was Itachi, smiling like a beacon of hope. The look of his smiling calm face sent butterflies into her stomach even now. And in seeing him , she remembered their conversation. She needed to become a chuunin if she wanted to help him erase all conflicts. She needed to win if she wanted to save others, and make up for the lives that had been lost. The girl scowled at the young man.

"You're wrong. You're the one who should never become chuunin! A ninjas job is not to cause needless bloodshed and suffering. We are ninja to protect and uphold the peace in our villages that others have worked so hard to create!" She thought of Itachi and her entire clan, all they had gone through. "The chunnin exams is held each year to foster international brotherhood, and to maintain the balance of power in each village. You strayed from your mission to kill without any good reason at all!" Her blood was boiling. "And as long as people like you continue to spread pain to others, the world will keep on fighting and the cycle will never end! That's why- people like you should never become ninja!"

Out of the corner of her eye, the girl saw Itachi's eyes widen in surprise. His expression was one she had never seen on him, almost as if he had been touched. Izumi's vision went red involuntarily. She grimaced, and braced herself. With the last of her strength, she sent a genjutsu into the mind of her opponent.

The man paused, and then it hit him. He gave a soft smile of peaceful contentment, and then raised both his arms in surrender.

"I... no longer want to fight..." He mumbled, still recovering from the genjutsu. Izumi looked at the proctor, trembling from exertion. He nodded his head. She was declared the winner of the match.

* * *

Outside the stadium, Izumi's friends and teammates gathered around, congratulating each other. One other of her teammates had beaten both their opponents, making their promotion almost certain. Her mother gave her a tight hug, almost squeezing her in two.

"I can't believe you beat your opponent with genjutsu! I'm so proud of you." Izumi chuckled, slightly flustered.

"Where did you get the extra chakra? I've never seen you last that long in battle," Shizuko asked.

"I have Itachi and his friend Shisui to thank. Without them I would have never gotten this far," she explained, still trying to recover from the fight. Even if she had won, it wasn't without cost. Izumi was seeing lights and her breath was short. As if on queue the young man she spoke of quietly approached in the background. He had the feintest hint of a smile, but Izumi could tell something was different in him. She smiled back, excusing herself from the crowd of friends.

"Thank you again, Itachi. If it wasn't for your training me, I wouldn't have won that fight!"

"I only helped you gather enough chakra to endure a little longer. How you chose to use that chakra was up to you." She chuckled at his modesty, but her head was reeling in a familiar way. She couldn't tell if it was the boy himself who was making her so dizzy, or if she had used up almost all of her chakra. She took as deep breaths as she can to pull herself together, still smiling at him. Itachi adopted a look of concern. "Izumi, are you feeling alright?" But the answer never came, for a second after, her body gave out and all went dark.

* * *

Izumi woke in the hospital, head hazy. The raven haired Uchiha sat in a chair directly beside her bed. She turned her head toward him, whose face was calm.

"You're awake." Quietly, the girl chuckled and the sound grew into a laugh. The image of him sitting next to her, waiting for her to get up transported her back to one of the first times the two had met many years ago. Izumi had used her sharringan to defend him from three older bullies who had scorned the Uchiha's name. The sudden use of chakra had put the two in the exact same position as they were in now. She sat up.

"What happened?"

"You fainted from overusing your chakra. I brought you to the hospital. You were only unconscious for a couple hours." She sighed and lowered her head in shame.

"I guess I'm not ready to be a chuunin then. How can I become a chuunin when I can't stay conscious after fighting even one opponent?"

"On missions you will have comrades to look after you and work by your side. I talked with the Hokage after your fight ended. Though it hasn't been discussed by the full selection council yet, he was affected by your words and performance. He believes you will be an excellent chuunin." His words and encouragement cheered her up. "Izumi, what image did you show the man in your genjutsu?" He didn't disguise the urgent fascination in his voice.

"I guess I don't know... it's hard to explain. It just came out of me. It was almost as if I projected my intentions and feelings towards him with my mind's eye."

"You manipulated him into a ceasefire?" She shook her head.

"No I think I somehow convinced him. When he said he no longer wanted to fight, he was no longer in my genjutsu." Itachi turned towards her eagerly.

"Izumi, if you can convince people to abstain from a conflict, it means you have an invaluable gift. If our dreams are to become reality, the ability to pacify someone is more precious than any one jutsu." Izumi chuckled at his grandiosity and idealism. She was an ordinary fourteen year old girl who might soon become a second tier ninja, not a world changer.

"It was probably just a fluke. I don't even know exactly what I did. And even if I did persuade him into stopping the fight, whose to say how long it would last? I couldn't even perform it on more than two people, let alone a whole group."

"That's only for now. I can help you to gain more of a handle on the genjutsu I can continue training you. I want to understand how it works." Izumi looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you for training with me. You're an ANBU captain after all. The fact that you've taken so much of your little free time to help me means so much." Itachi gave a small smile in return, but she could tell that he was nervous at his next words.

"You've grown... into an exceptional kunoichi. Like I said before, I don't want you getting hurt. I value you highly..." The words came out of his mouth like velvet. Izumi blushed, for now after these past weeks she knew what he had meant.

"I... value you highly too, Itachi," she bravely moved her hand to rest on his, which he had placed on the edge of her hospital mattress, sending butterflies into her stomach. "And I don't want the good times we've had together to end."

"Izumi..." He leaned in closer to her. She watched as his lips parted slightly. Could this really be happening? Her heart beat faster as their faces grew nearer.

Then his lips finally reached hers. She gasped through her nose in surprise as he kissed her firmly, yet gently. Instinctively, Izumi kissed back. Their kiss grew deeper, letting their built up feelings for each other show. Izumi had held them for many years, and to finally be in this moment filled her with relief. Itachi did not push too far, and in a moment he pulled away. They looked at each other, both with small smiles.

"Itachi..." Izumi's voice came out in almost a whisper. She put her hand to his cheek and kissed him again.


	4. Teenagers 2

A little side note about this chapter:

This covers the last of the teen years for their relationship, which means things are going to get more romantic. I've gotten in trouble for writing too long and detailed lemons before, so instead of a lemon for this website, I'm going to just add a teeny tiny little _implied_ scene at the end, not graphic at all. If you don't want to read it, you totally don't have to- it doesn't further the plot! I think the less detailed the more accurate for this fic anyways, since I don't think Itachi would be showing Izumi detailed visualizations of them being intimate anyways. But sorry if I disappoint anyone. Anyways, on with the Tsukuyomi!

* * *

Izumi was sixteen years old.

"Heiwa-no-jutsu!" she exclaimed, concentrating her intention with all her mental capacity at the five prisoners in front of her. She had named her genjutsu after her shared ambition over a year ago as a joke, not suspecting it would come of anything. But Itachi wouldn't let it go, and with his help she had made progress, even on her C rank missions with Hitoru and Shizuko. Now, the five prisoners stood facing her with empty expressions. Hitoru's father, also a Yamanaka, stood by them, observing for a moment. After Izumi had comfortably sustained the genjutsu for thirty seconds, he gestured for her to release it. The men each came to their senses.

"How do each of you feel?" Hitoru's father held up his notepad to record their observations.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize how harmful my actions have been towards everyone. Picking fights just isn't worth it, even if it's with a guard. I'm really sorry!" One man said.

"Yeah me too. I shouldn't have beat Jin up so bad. There was really no good reason for it." Down the line, two other prisoners expressed similar sentiments. The fifth remained silent, with crossed arms.

"We can confirm four out of five experienced the jutsu. I'll continue to study them in order to determine how long the jutsu lasts, and what they experienced while caught in it. Hitoru can bring you our follow up reports in a few weeks."

"Thank you for your help," Izumi waved to him as he began to take off with the prisoners.

"I call it a fair trade. If you can stop the violence and lashing out we've been having in the prisons, then this work will be well worth it. Oh and Itachi?" The male Uchiha, now a full grown man, had been standing watch behind her. He looked to the Yamanaka now. "See if you can have your father crack down a little less on any crime in the village. Our cells are almost all filled up. Give them community service or something!" Itachi gave a small chuckle.

"I'll see what I can do." When the blonde man was out of sight, Itachi wrapped his arm around her waist from the side, giving her a quick affectionate squeeze below her flack jacket. "Four out of five isn't bad." Izumi looked up at him, unsurprised by the gesture. In the last year, he had become much more comfortable displaying his affection through physical touch. Now, he could hold her close to him without worry.

"I still have a long way to go if we want to reach our goal."

"You'll get better. Since I first met you, your chakra has almost tripled." She turned to face him more closely, casually placing her hand on his chest.

"I want you to take me on a mission so I can try it with you there!" Itachi's face grew stern.

"I told you already, I'll take you with me when I am assigned a mission where I'm certain I can keep you safe. I promise." Itachi was stubborn, but he did his best to keep his word to her. That answer made her feel content.

"Okay," she smiled and stood on her tip toes to kiss him. He kissed back, tenderly moving his tongue in an effort to gain entrance to her mouth. He succeeded, and they kissed more longingly, knowing full well no one was around. Through the kiss Izumi chuckled and broke free. "Ita..." He looked back at her with a soft smirk, but in his eyes she could tell he was completely infatuated with her.

"If you had any idea how much you mean to me..." he whispered into her ear. She half frowned to herself, but smiled at him, running her fingers through his hair. It had been two years since they had started dating. For two years they had been completely absorbed with each other, no one else had caught his eye. Yet in all this time he still had never said the word love. It wasn't that she didn't know for sure if it wasn't there, by the look in his eyes it certainly was. But it concerned her that he wouldn't say it. Izumi had kept the word inside herself with all of her strength, not wanting to pressure him. But if she was honest with herself, the truth was often so hard to hold in that it felt like she might burst.

"I feel the same," she said, silently begging to hear the three words. Just then, they sensed two presences walking their way. It was Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto.

"Maybe you can use your jutsu on my father so he'll lighten up on Konoha's deviants," Itachi joked under his breath. His mother waved a hand in their direction.

"Itachi, would you mind helping out around the estate before dinner? We're eating in an hour!" The man nodded.

"I'll be right there," he called back. Izumi loved how he was always so caring towards his parents, but her heart sank at the thought of leaving him. Beyond their earshot, the two were talking with each other. Mikoto called out again.

"Izumi, would you like to stay over for dinner?" Itachi looked at her hopefully.

"I'd love to!"

Since last year, his family had invited her over often, slowly integrating her into their family dynamic. Sometimes she would help prepare dinner beforehand, or sometimes she would spar with Sasuke while Itachi helped his mother. This evening at dinner, she was practically interviewed by Fugaku, who wanted to know more about her. Itachi's father practically drilled her with questions. What was her upbringing like? What were her views on political issues within the clan? How would she respond in certain situations? Where did she envision herself in five years? Izumi casually answered the questions to the best of her ability; she had eaten with him many times now, so she was relatively comfortable with the stoic man. Through their talk, his expression never changed until he nodded with a note of finality.

* * *

The couple sat on the roof of her mother's house, looking at the moon. The air blew with a new chill to it, signaling autumn's approach.

"Your father was really drilling me tonight," she stated, crossing her arms across her chest tightly to resist the cold.

"He wanted to become more well acquainted with you. You answered his questions well."

"It didn't look like it. He never smiled or anything." Itachi smirked.

"You speak as if you don't know my father." Izumi was well aware of his father's temperament, as well as the complex dynamic between him and her boyfriend.

"True. But why did he seem so eager all of the sudden?" Itachi thought about that, choosing his words carefully. In the end, he decided it best to oversimplify.

"Well, we've been together for two years after all. He likely wanted to make sure I was spending so much time with a young woman he approved of."

"And did he approve of me?" Izumi inwardly cringed at the idea of being evaluated by the most powerful figure in the clan. But Itachi gave her a comforting smile.

"I think you made a wonderful impression. He was satisfied." She sighed in relief. The wind was getting colder, and she began to shiver a little. Itachi immediately realized the change in her composure. He smiled softly to himself, and laid down on his side facing her.

"Here. Lay down next to me." Izumi looked down at her boyfriend, who looked up at her and realized she had never seen him lay down. The girl had taken short naps with him after training, but he had always sat against the trunk of a tree so she could rest against his chest. Now, seeing the incredibly attractive Uchiha look up at her with such inviting eyes gave her stomach butterflies from the newness. Izumi followed his instructions and laid down in the same direction as he was laying, letting him wrap his arm around her narrow frame. Itachi pulled her in closer, so his body heat surrounded her. Izumi blushed at how close his entire body was to hers. "What, is this position too intimate?" Itachi's voice half whispered into her ear, calm and velvety.

"No... I'm happy to be close to you..." Izumi half whispered back. Itachi knew full well that no one could see them from this angle high off the ground. It was just the two of them. He took the opportunity to gently run his fingers through her hair, relaxing her. From the pressure on her back, she could feel him breathing and his heart beating faster than normal. "Itachi... I wish we could stay like this all night..." He continued stroking her hair, silent. "My mom is in bed by now, and-" his hand stopped mid stroke.

"Izumi, we can't." He turned her over to face him. His eyes were completely serious.

"Why? It's not like anyone would know you were here, and my mother loves you." Itachi didn't falter for a second.

"Your mother has been exceptionally hospitable to me, and kind towards my family. Staying would betray her trust. Besides, it's not proper." Izumi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"We're laying together out aren't we?"

"I'm not going to sleep out here and neither should you. Inside your house it's different. You're sixteen and a shinobi must-" Izumi realized what he might be implying.

"It's not like anything will happen. I just wanted to be close with you!" To her dismay she noticed her cheeks grow slightly hot, and was thankful the night darkness concealed the change in tint. He looked away.

"I never said anything would. Izumi, you are still two years from shinobi womanhood, and I am the prospective future fifth Hokage." He lifted one hand to her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb gently. "I cannot afford to take any risks with you." _Risks?_ Izumi thought to herself confusedly. But if Itachi didn't want to stay over, then she would honor that wish.

"Okay," she let the discussion go with a pleasant smile. Itachi brought himself closer to her, ending the nighttime visit with a kiss. Izumi happily returned it, but in his energy she sensed that her responsible, cautious, eighteen year old boyfriend was displaying incredible control over his own feelings.

* * *

Izumi was seventeen years old when she heard the news.

"I've been moved to a new position for a while. I'm to become a jounin sensei." Izumi looked at the note he had handed her signed with Hiruzen's familiar signature, then to the clear plastic bag containing a green flack jacket matching her own. She held the jacket up to him and a smug smile slowly grew on her face. She giggled.

"Awww you're going to train little kids straight out of the academy!" The chuckles wouldn't stop.

"Why are you laughing at me? Training and protecting children is a valuable job." She shook her head.

"It's not that I'm laughing at you, it's just, I've always wondered what you would be like as a jounin sensei. I think you'll be a wonderful teacher! And I'm sure taking a break from heavy missions will be good for you." Itachi turned away, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"I don't need a break. I still will have to go on missions without my students. Furthermore, I don't want to teach children how to fight. It goes against everything I've worked for." Izumi looked up at him thoughtfully.

"You don't have to. If there's anyone who can teach students how to be strong enough to dissolve shinobi conflicts, it's you. Teach them the value of life, and why we should work to minimize conflict at all costs! And if you need me, I can come on missions with you and show them how jutsu can be used to prevent fighting. If you want to build a new way of the shinobi, this can be your first step!" Her boyfriend smiled at her, looking a little more confident in himself.

"You make it sound so easy. But thank you, Izumi."

* * *

Izumi was seventeen years old.

On their second joint mission together, Izumi had used her jutsu to pacify six enemy ninja. Now she knew that their days on the battle ground would be over, at least for some time. While Itachi's teammates had taken out several guards, Itachi and Izumi had infiltrated the house of the noble that was their target. Itachi had suspended the elderly woman in a harmless genjutsu just as his girlfriend had insisted, while she snuck into the cellar to steal the scroll encased in silver. Their mission had been an effortless success. Outside of the Land of Rice Patties, Itachi dismissed his two teammates, ordering them to return the scroll to Hiruzen, bringing their mission to an end.

It wasn't more than a few minutes into their return home that the couple lost all desire to continue into the village. Not just yet. Now, Izumi found herself pinned to the trunk of a tree by her boyfriend, who was making it his new mission to make her melt into a helpless puddle of need for him, using nothing but his lips and tongue. Just as it was with most of his missions, he was having very little trouble. Izumi's muscles had loostened, and her mind was a blurry haze, completely surrendering to his kiss. Her veins felt like they were on fire. Their tongues passionately danced together, hands held tightly, both heartbeats racing until both needed to stop for breath.

"Itachi..." she managed while gasping for air. He looked deep into her eyes. Izumi felt a pressure on her toungue from the three words begging to escape her lips. They filled her up, threatening to explode forth any second. But he had not said them, and she was still afraid of loosing him. "I can't help myself. I need you. I need you closer to me." Itachi held her to him, as if in hopes that their ribcages would merge and they could be as one. Izumi felt him trail kisses up and down her neck, gently sucking on the taught skin. A whimper escaped her lips, encouraging him to continue. He began to alternate kisses with with soft, husky whispers.

"My beautiful, lovely girlfriend... if you had any idea how much I want you now, we'd never..." His mouth slowly trailed to her earlobe, and she felt him suck gently. Like clockwork, Izumi involuntarily moaned, causing him to stop. Not fully knowing what they were doing, Itachi's new discovery had surprised them both. "Izumi..." It was clear that the quiet outburst had brought out more strong feelings from within him. He sucked again to receive the same result. Itachi kissed her neck, working his way down towards her collarbone, pressing his body as close to her as he could. Izumi savored every stroke from his fingers, every burst of pressure, and every caress. Hands explored each other's bodies wildly. Suddenly, Itachi's waist brushed against her stomach; the girl noticed his physical arousal pushing against her. His lips went towards her chest. Before anything could happen, Izumi gasped.

Itachi paused, then stood up, looking her directly in the eyes sternly.

"We can't do this." It was clear he had quickly controlled his emotions before they could loose control. The fog from her mind began to clear, but fire still rushed through her veins.

"Itachi... please..." He put his hand to her chin, lifting it with his slender fingers and giving one last kiss for now.

"I'm taking you home. I cannot risk going too far with you. Not now."

"But why...? We've been together for three years haven't we? What harm would come to us if we showed each other how we feel?!" Her boyfriend looked at her sternly.

"How we feel has less importance than what is appropriate as ninja. The first of the three prohibitions states-"

"I know the prohibitions! But Itachi, you turned eighteen a year ago!"

"And you have not. Being prospective Uchiha Hokage isn't just about studying and training to become a leader. It means we will always be more in the spotlight than we wish, and therefore held to a higher standard." Izumi almost couldn't believe his stubbornness, and his desperate attempt to brush her off. Her heart sank hearing his words.

"You've gone on dozens of infiltration and spying missions without being discovered and yet you're afraid of being found out displaying your feelings to your girlfriend?!"

"Our relationship is of great importance to me personally, but I am bound to my social role as are you. You want our dreams of achieving peace to come to fruition, don't you? If you want to serve the greater good, you should concentrate on improving your jutsu." His words struck her in the chest like a physical blow. Whether or not he realized it, Itachi valued preserving his public appearance at all costs more than the girl who had loved him faithfully for three years. Izumi knew there was little risk of their breaking the prohibitions being discovered, especially with an S ranked ninja like him. He was just making excuses. Izumi began to doubt he felt the same way about her at all.

"Fine, Itachi. If that's how you feel, I'm going home alone. It would look better to the hokage and to the public if you reported the success of our mission yourself anyways..." Hiding tears from him, she turned and took of towards the compound as fast as she could.

* * *

Izumi was seventeen and a half years old. He had been more distant with her since that day, though their relationship was still strong and they continued on missions together.

Now, large rocks and mounds of dirt flew down towards them from over head.

She ran as fast as she could with Itachi following closely behind, arms over hear head in an attempt to protect his girlfriend from the small rocks. The enemy who had caused the earth style explosion now sent a long vine with thorns hurtling towards the girl in an attempt to take her out. Without skipping a beat, Itachi used his eyes to turn it into black flame.

Itachi Uchiha!" The elderly man screamed out from where he stood. Their opponent had been much stronger than either of them had anticipated. Moreover, Izumi's jutsu wasn't working on him for some reason. The man had a certain block on his mind. "If you take one more step away from me, I'll kill you and your girl." Itachi's eyes turned to daggers. He froze where he was, standing up tall.

"Izumi, hide. I'm going to finish this off, and I don't want you getting hurt." The girl shook her head angrily.

"I can help! Why can't we combine our efforts?!"

"Because you're a chuunin whose strongest jutsu is ineffective, and he's an S ranked feudal lord. You would merely be a target." His words hurt, but she wasn't in the place to argue. Izumi ran to the right, using the camoflague technique to blend into the rocks nearby until she could hide behind a boulder. There, she sat with her arms crossed tightly, in anger as she waited for him to finish. Several minutes of loud clanking and a screech later, the fight was over. Itachi walked in the direction she had gone, where he found her hiding behind the boulder, glaring at him.

"Izumi, that was very reckless. I told you not to take any risks, and that one almost cost you your life."

"It wasn't a risk! He was listed as a C rank fighting skill. I only wanted to help you!"

"If you wanted to help me, you could have done as I told you and stayed in the shadows while I took him out quickly. Instead of listening you got in the way." Izumi's heart sank and she clenched her fists.

"You don't care about me as much as I care about you, do you?" Itachi looked surprised.

"What are you talking about? Of course I care about you."

"I'm just getting in the way of you achieving your dream. That's your highest priority and I'm a low second." Itachi's eyebrows turned to Vs, aggravated.

"What's gotten into you Izumi? I'm bound by a lot of responsibility and I just did all I could to protect you and ensure the success of the mission. In this case, that meant telling you to hide. I thought you understood that."

"It's not just now. You don't trust in my strength. You make excuses not to show your feelings to me and you tell me I get in the way!" Itachi looked at her, incredulously.

"Izumi, you're a wonderful ninja but you fight at a chuunin level. Why would you take the risk of fighting by my side when you could easily get hurt and I had the best chance of defeating him? Why would you do something so foolish as to risk your life to fight with me?" Izumi spread her arms out exhasperatedly and blurted the words out without thinking.

"Because Itachi, I love you!"

The both of them looked at each other in surprise. But Izumi knew it was too late to take it back.

"And loving someone can make people do really foolish things. But I guess you wouldn't know that... you always keep your head on straight and never get carried away, even when taking a risk wouldn't hurt us at all. You push me away and tell me 'later,' when in your heart of hearts, the real reason is because the same feeling isn't there." Itachi still looked dazed, as if she had said something that lifted a curtain from his eyes. He walked closer to her.

"Izumi, I do love you." Itachi's voice was soft yet certain. "I didn't know you felt the same... I'm sorry."

"Itachi..." Izumi moved like a magnet being pulled to him, who opened his arms to wrap around her as she kissed him. He held her tightly, firmly pressing his lips into her like he was realizing their feelings for each other. She opened her mouth to him, running her fingers through his long hair. He let her kiss him all over, as if finally after all this time, she could show the extent of her feelings to him she had hidden inside.

"Izumi..." his fingers stroked through her long hair, holding her tightly.

"Itachi I don't think I can wait any more. I need you now more than anything..." Itachi tilted her head up towards his so he could look deep into her eyes, deciding.

"I know." And so he picked her up bridal style to finally do something 'foolish.'

* * *

At the inn, under the soft covers, Izumi wrapped herself around Itachi's slender form. He kissed her tenderly and longingly, as if he had been suffocating and now he could finally breathe.

"I love you I love you I love you I love you..." Izumi whispered, overflowing with rawness, while they moved together in unison.

"You're so beautiful..." Itachi whispered back in his low husky voice, in a tone of awe and adoration. A tear formed at her eye. He was the most beautiful human being she had ever known.

Together, the two spent the next few hours tangled up, not wanting to be separate from each other ever again.


	5. Marriage

Izumi was 20 years old.

The young woman woke up next to Itachi, who had been watching her sleep.

"Good morning, my love." She responded with a weak smile and a groggy yawn.

Itachi and his father had gone in on a small house for him to live in, seperately from his parents and Sasuke. His father had explained that it was only natural at his age he should be living on his own to develop himself as a full grown adult while his work became more demanding. Izumi's mother had come to fully trust Itachi, treating him like a member of the family. They had been together for more than a decade, it was only expected at this point they would begin to sleep over in the same house.

"Good morning, Ita." Izumi rolled over, reaching a leg around his other side, in an effort to be closer to him. Itachi, who was wearing his underwear and a dark grey short sleeved shirt, turned to lie on his back, bringing her up to lay on top. Their lips greeted each other warmly. Izumi treasured these infrequent moments together. Under the covers, everything made sense. Nothing existed but him in the moment, not the restless clan, not the Hokage or the elders who took hours and hours of his time each day, or any of his other endless responsibilities. It could just be the two of them.

"Stay here with me, and we'll make breakfast together," she cooed.

"I cant. Lord Third has asked that I attend a meeting with his advisors before I begin my training for today." His girlfriend pouted and groaned, heart sinking.

"Itachiii, he never gives you a day's peace! I worry that he'll burn you out. You need to let yourself rest..." she pushed herself further up onto him, catching him in her kisses, hoping it would make him stay. He indulged himself in for a moment before wrapping her in his arms and turning her over onto her back.

"No, Izumi. I must fulfill all of my obligations if we want our dreams to become reality. I'll be done before dinner." The man pressed his lips to her forehead, untangling himself from her to leave his bed. There was nothing that she could say. Itachi was filled with purpose, and with the intensity of his ambition propelling him forwards, there was no way he would tire. He finished getting dressed and opened the curtain for her to see the sunlight, obscuring his figure in shadow. "It's only a matter of time before all of this hard work comes into fruition." The center of her world made his way to the door and shot her a charming smile.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. You can sleep in as long as you like."

* * *

Some time later that day, Izumi wiped her brow and sat down on the bench next to her long time friend and comrade, Hitoru, with a water bottle. They had been sparring for a couple hours and had tied 5-5 as usual.

"You're water style is getting really strong to be sending waves at me out of thin air like that," the blonde male yamanaka boy complemented.

"Thank you. You're getting much stronger yourself. It's good that we made time to train like this. Now that you're working in ANBU, it seems like we're getting to see each other less and less." The young man chuckled, looking at her up and down in a way that made her feel a bit self conscious somehow.

"You're right. I've only been in the ANBU for two weeks and already they've sent me on seven missions. This is the first real day off I've had. It's totally exhausting and overwhelming!" He stretched his arms over his head, ultimately landing his hand closer to hers than it had been before. Izumi looked away from him.

"Itachi used to feel that way when he was in ANBU too." The boys looked down, as if put off by the mention of his name.

"How is Itachi, by the way?"

"He's super busy, as always. He's doing missions with his team of genin, doing missions on his own, and training with the Hokage."

"That must be super hard for you," her friend looked at her as if concealing a certain jealousy.

"It is. I'm lucky if I get to see him for a few hours each day. Some weeks go by and it feels like we hardly have any time to talk. I'm so proud of him, and I know he's doing the right thing for all of us. I feel selfish for saying this but" she paused, considering if it was worth admitting to her worst thoughts "I sometimes wish to myself that Hiruzen would pass away already so that the new Hokage would be selected!" He raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, him hardly ever being there has really gotten to you, huh?" His voice seemed almost satisfied with her response. She nodded, sadly. "Hiruzen is very old, and he's well outlived his title. It would seem almost like he intends to take it to the grave, huh?"

"I think he does. Itachi told me a year back that he wants to spend the rest of his life ensuring a smooth transition to Uchiha power, since the nine tails' attack wasn't even two decades ago. He wants to do everything he can to prevent any revolts that could possibly occur. He's too prudent. Itachi thinks it will be only a short matter of time before he passes, so I just have to trust that he's right."

"He could be right, but what if it doesn't go the way you want? What if he were to live and keep Itachi busy another five or ten years? What would you both do then?" Izumi thought about it.

"Honestly... I don't know."

* * *

One week later, Izumi walked with Itachi, who was feeding the fish in the pond of his parent's house. Her conversation with Hitoru came up in her mind.

"Itachi, can we sit down a little while?" He looked to her and nodded.

"Of course." They sat down alongside the water and spent a moment just listening to the sound of the birds and the wrestling of leaves. Izumi rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth his body was giving off in the spring chill. "There's something on your mind you want to tell me, isn't there?" His intuition would never stop surprising her.

"Yes... Itachi, I've been thinking about your work with Hiruzen." He listened intently, waiting for her to continue. "I know you've told me that you believe he will pass away soon but.. what if it doesn't go according to your plan? What if he lives another five or ten years? What would you do then?" Itachi smiled and looked at the water.

"Then it will just have to wait. I must continue to work with him as long as it takes. The nine tailed fox attacked almost two decades ago, but the Uchiha are in a precarious spot. If I were to push Hiruzen, I would risk being perceived as the power hungry Uchiha they once feared, and some within the leadership would come to distrust us once more. Moreover, my pushing him might discourage him from selecting me as the top candidate for the role. If I am not chosen, there's no telling what the clan might resort to." Izumi had never thought of it like that. Itachi could not afford to make any wrong moves if things were to go according to plan.

"I understand that, and I support you in whatever you do." Itachi looked at her, whose eyes avoided his.

"You're still concerned."

"Well... I was wondering... what about me?" Now he lifted an eyebrow.

"What of you? Will you stay with me even if I this were to go for five more years?" Izumi put her hand on his back.

"Of course I will, you know I would. It's just- lets say you did become Hokage. You might be even more busy in his position than you are right now. I'm worried about what will happen to us. You've given me so much happiness already. I don't want that to go away." Itachi somehow, didn't seem at all worried. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"I made you a promise that I would stay with you through all of this. It won't be long now. I understand all that is required of being Hokage. And I can see that we will have more time."

"And will we... you know..." she twisted her face, unsure how to put it unimposingly.

"Get married?" Itachi stated simply. Izumi blushed. She knew by now how much he liked it when she did.

"Well... yeah." He chuckled.

"I told you before, Izumi. I need to do this first. I want to be in a stable position first before any next moves." Izumi sighed and felt her lips move into a pout. Itachi would never be shaken from the path he set before himself. It was a trait she loved and admired, but found inconvenient at times.

"It's just hard not having you around sometimes. Missions have always taken a lot out of me. It was nice when we used to have more time to talk about them together. It's hard missing you," she smiled.

"For me too." Itachi kissed her on the forehead. "What got you thinking in to all of this?" The young woman looked away, worrying he might get hurt.

"Hitoru got me thinking about it. He was asking about you." Her boyfriend's brow furrowed.

"I remember the last time I saw him with you. His feelings for you are more than that of friendship, aren't they?" Itachi turned to look at her in the eyes, as if to gauge every aspect of her reaction to his words. Izumi nodded, uncomfortably.

"I'm sure he's like that with most girls."

"He might not be. You're a bright, beautiful young woman. He'd be lucky to have you." Izumi was surprised at his attitude. He took both her hands in his own, facing her. "Stay with me, Izumi. If he continues prodding you, tell him you're mine. I promise, it won't be long now. We'll have more time." Izumi understood that Itachi wasn't saying this out of jealousy, but protectiveness. Izumi was an invaluable part of his life, just as much as his family. He trusted her loyalty, but it was only natural to to put effort into preserving what they had.

"I would never go anywhere," she replied, and they kissed, long and deep.

* * *

The months ahead were much the same, filled with missing each other in the day, and tired reunions on evenings where he was free. Izumi's missions became more stressful, and Hitoru continued his advances. The added energy spent on hard missions would sometimes make her irritable while she was with him, despite his efforts to make their time together pleasant. Whoever was more tired would let the other make dinner, and together they would show their appreciation in their affections later that night. The days went on like that for a while, until the day when everything changed.

Izumi had just came out of the tea shop she often went with her boyfriend for lunch when she saw him approaching from the direction of the Leaf village's entrance. He was clothed in full fighting attire, followed in the distance by his two grinning teammates. He looked calm, and completely content. He smiled softly and waved to her. Izumi grinned and waved back, running over to him.

"Itachi, you're back so early! How did your mission go?" She waved to his teammates as well, who she had met several times before.

"He took off and defeated our target so fast I've never seen anything like it," the first chunin said, scratching his head.

"It was like he was running for his life." Itachi smiled.

"I wanted to get back as quickly as I could. You both should head back to Lord Hokage. I'll be there shortly." The two behind him looked disappointed, but nodded their heads.

"Yes sir!" Izumi was confused. What was going through his head?

"Izumi, can I talk to you for a moment?" She nodded, and followed him a ways away. Once they were in private, Izumi yanked on his forearm teasingly.

"Now what's this about? Whats so important? If you're free, then let's go home and make up for all the time we haven't seen each other!" Itachi smiled gently to the now feisty girl. The sun shone brightly behind him, giving their faces a warm glow. To her, it made him look like heaven.

"I can't. Right now, I have something else important I have to do." Izumi pouted at his words. _It's never going to stop, is it? We're never going to have time to be together. It's either our dream, or our time together._ He interrupted her thoughts.

"Izumi, you've been the love of my life for nearly ten years. You've been with me through everything since the very beginning and you've grown into a wonderful young woman. And I can't thank you enough for the time we have had together."

Izumi's breath caught in her chest. Was he breaking up with her?

No, he was probably just buttering her up so he could say whatever he needed to and then leave without her being sad. Her expression stayed the same as he continued.

"It would be the greatest honor to have you by my side as our lives move forward. I'm sorry that the beginning of the road has put so much distance between us, and I can't guarantee what lies in store, but I promise that from this moment forward I will have you by my side through all of it. Izumi..." Itachi reached into his pack and pulled out a small box. He opened it, to reveal a shiny object, which she quickly identified.

It was an engagement ring, elegantly crafted.

Her pout turned into a gasp of wonder as she looked at him, unable to believe her eyes.

"Will you marry me?" The words seemed almost unreal to her. He smiled at her wide, with hopeful eyes. A thin film of tears began to fill her own.

"Itachi!" Her body seemed to move on its own, holding him tightly with a kiss."Of course. I'll love you for the rest of my life."

* * *

Together, they rushed to the Hokage, where Itachi gave his reports on the mission. Hiruzen nodded, old eyes sparkling.

"Then it's understood. Itachi, you've completed this final mission with flying colors, as you have with all your assignments. You have worked tirelessly to embody the traits our village needs. Strength in battle and in leadership, kindness and compassion, wisdom from experience, and a vision of a more peaceful future." Itachi's eyes widened, as did hers. What was he saying? "I hereby announce to everyone in this room that I am stepping down as Hokage. And I am giving my personal recommendation to the fire damyo to elect Itachi Uchiha as my replacement." Izumi looked to Itachi, whose eyes were filled with what she could only describe as awe. He quickly knelt down to pay his respects, along with her.

"I am humbled, Lord Third, and I am truly grateful for your recommendation."

"It is my personal belief that only you, an Uchiha with a commitment to the village and to peace at your core, can pave the way to a more harmonious future." They both rose to face him. "Of course, the decision is made by multiple people, and there are some who will propose others, such as Kakashi Hatake or Master Jiraya."

"Lord Third, I-" Kakashi, who was in the room, interrupted. It wasn't a secret that Kakashi was not interested in the position. The Hokage laughed.

"Now now, I have full faith that the Land of Fire will come to a consensus in support of my view. Itachi and Izumi, you are dismissed." They turned to leave. "Oh and one more thing!" Their heads turned around to see Hiruzen smiling.

"Congratulations on your engagement."

Izumi and Itachi and shut the door behind them. Spontaneously, the two of them found themselves quietly laughing, overfilled with joy. She held his hands in her own, and saw that tears lined his eyes as they tried desperately to contain their excitement. Izumi kissed his face all over and hugged him.

"Itachi, I'm so happy."

* * *

That night, the family from both sides ate a large dinner at Itachi's family's house. Fugaku and her mother was brought to tears upon both announcements, and Mikoto gave Izumi the tightest hug of her life, nearly cutting off her breathing. Sasuke, who while growing up resented her for having to compete for Itachi's attention, had grown to accept her as a part of the family. Tonight, he was happy, but she could tell that a jealousy was clinging to the teen's heart. Sasuke was seventeen, and had become a wonderful jounin, but he still felt Itachi was leagues ahead of him.

"When will we find out?" Fugaku asked Itachi.

"I'm not certain. I assume now that he's declared his retirement, the decision will be made within the month."

"And who else is in the running?" Izumi sensed the eagerness for his soon flare up almost militantly. Itachi handled it without a change in expression.

"I'm not sure of everyone. Hiruzen mentioned Kakashi Hatake and Master Jirayiah as possibilities."

"Kakashi Hatake. I've seen him around. He was one of the ones who recommended me for the promotion," Sasuke said.

"And Jirayah hardly spends any time in the village to begin with. I think you're their best candidate. But the clan will certainly be upset if the result goes the other way." It wasn't meant as a threat, but as a word of caution, Izumi thought. But by the look on Itachi's face he knew his father was plotting.

"Now then," this time the voice was her mother's. "until we know the decision, there's nothing we can work to control about the clan. All we can do is arrange the wedding.

* * *

The decision was made three weeks later.

Itachi, Izumi, Fugaku, Mikoto, Shisui, and Sasuke stood a ways outside the large emerald doors of the hall. They opened with a creak, and Izumi saw the figure of a man waving him in.

"Come with me," Itachi asked her softly. She nodded and they began walking towards the doors.

Only Itachi was allowed to enter. He looked at her with his normal serious face, but in his eyes she could tell he was overcome with nerves. The man opened the door, and Itachi disappeared into the shadows.

The next few minutes were filled with a deafening silence. Izumi's stomach was in knots from the anticipation. She clenched her fists. Itachi was incredibly strong, and in her opinion the best candidate for Hokage. But he was also only twenty two years old, and an Uchiha. Kakashi, from what she understood, had graduated the academy two years younger than Itachi had. He had strong bonds with the Uchiha, and had many years more of experience. It was just as likely that the elders and the feudal lords would choose him as the best fit. She turned to look behind her and saw in the distance, his family stood watching, in just as much suspense. If they choose anyone but Itachi, Izumi knew that they would be outraged, and then she would worry for her clan and the village once more. After four agonizing minutes, the doors opened again.

Itachi exited the large building with a pained look on his face.

The doors shut and the tears she knew he had fought so hard to keep down quickly began to fall from his eyes. Izumi ran to hug him.

"What happened?" Itachi held her close and began to cry into his shoulder.

"I did it." He looked at her with tears shining in his eyes, and she realized they were tears of joy and relief. "I'm the Fifth Hokage of the Leaf Village." A tiny sigh of relief escaped her lips, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"I knew you could do it!" For a moment, she held him there as he put himself together, then they chuckled and wiped each other's tears away. Izumi became aware of the presences of his family, who could only barely see them. "Lets go tell them." The two ran to join his four family members, who were running to meet them.

"What happened?!" Fugaku looked at his son desperately.

"Did you make it?" Shisui was much less imposing. Itachi smiled and nodded.

"I've been named the Fifth Hokage." The four of them yelled and whooped in excitement, wrapping their arms around him. Fugaku stood close by, smiling. Izumi held his hand, the only part of him that was exposed in the tight embrace of his family members. She was so proud of him. It was so good to see him so happy with his family this way.

* * *

The ceremony happened two days later.

On the roof of the Hokage House, Izumi stood overlooking all of the citizens, all garbed in white. She and Itachi's family were similarly clothed, standing in a group off to the side so they could watch. Hiruzen walked over to Itachi who wore the ceremonial embroydered Hokage cloak over a greyish black long sleeved shirt with the Uchiha crest, and his lighter grey pants. The old man smiled, and handed her fiance his pointed hat.

"Show the world why it is the Uchiha clan that has been tasked with keeping the peace in our village. Let them learn from your example." The man's advice could barely be heard through the chatter on the roof.

"I will." Itachi walked to face the villagers with Hiruzen, who spoke.

"I hereby name Itachi Uchiha as the Fifth Hokage!" The crowds cheered and Izumi clapped her hands as fast as she could. Her fiance was a humble, quiet man. She watched his shadowy figure gracefully lift his hat into the air with his right hand, and from the angle she stood she could see his kind, wise smile.

The ceremony ended and he walked to join them alongside Lord Third, looking humble yet glowing. It was then that Izumi felt within herself a sense of inferiority at the difference in status between them, though it only lasted a moment.

 _I'm going to be the wife of the Hokage... and together we're going to work towards achieving our dream._

"Shisui, if you'll allow me, I'd like to have you as my right hand man." Shisui chuckled softly.

"You won't need my help or advice as much as you think. But I'd be happy to."

"There's just one more thing that you must keep in mind," Hiruzen inserted himself. "Itachi, as the Fifth Hokage, you will be tasked with enough duties to last you throughout the day. However, you are also the eldest of Fugaku's sons, heir to the title of Clan leader. It is not my place to tell you how to priorities these duties, but I must advise you: it could be unwise to fill both roles simultaneously. There are many in the village who would view it as a potential conflict of interest, putting too much power into too few hands. The decision is up to you."

"It's a problem I've had in mind for many years now. You don't have to worry about a thing," Itachi turned to his father.

"Father, with your permission, I'd like to give my responsibilities as Clan leader to Sasuke. I believe he has what it takes to act in the interests of the Uchiha, and the village." Sasuke wasn't caught off guard. Izumi guessed that it was something Itachi had discussed with him beforehand. To Izumi's surprise, Fugaku gave his hopeful youngest son a warm smile and a firm pat on the back.

"I completely support that idea. Sasuke, you've gotten strong, and you're decisions are well reasoned. You'd make a great leader, and I'd be a very proud father to have you take my place. Of course, you are still young, so I''ll be giving you my full attention to ensure you're ready in time."

"Father, thank you," the teen's normally sullen demeanor seemed to have lifted, revealing a touched and hopeful expression in its place. His father laughed.

"That's my boy."

* * *

In the summer, three months later, Itachi and Izumi married.

They stood facing each other, hand in hand in front of a small group of their family and friends. Itachi wore traditional black wedding robes, with a red rose pinned to his chest. They had chosen red to symbolize both the Uchiha, and the Will of Fire. Izumi, wearing a traditional white kimono and her hair up above her head, looked at her husband's sparking eyes and warm smile, and felt a deep sense of calmness. He was so amazing. They were so in love, and she would give her love to him until the day she died. Their dreams were just around the corner.

"Itachi?" Izumi said under her breath as his uncle, who he had chosen to marry them, said his final words to their family.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to be a ninja any more. Not in the same way. I realize now my sharringan isn't meant for combat. And you're here, not on missions. If our dream is to come true, then I want to be here, supporting you as Hokage, supporting our family. And then, when you need my eyes to stop conflict, take me with you. You'll promise me that, right?" Itachi smiled, and she knew that her words made him happy.

"I promise."

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife!" Itachi's uncle exclaimed. For the first time, Itachi ignored his very private nature and they kissed in front of everyone. Izumi closed her eyes and felt in her heart the most happiness she had never felt in her life.

Everything was as it should be.


	6. Parenthood Part 1

Izumi was twenty four years old.

"Aaaahhhhh!" The ear drum shattering scream pierced the air.

"One, two, three, push!" Izumi followed the nurse's instructions, squeezing Itachi's hand as tightly as she could. Her husband sat by her side, untroubled by the sharp pain she must have sent into his fingers. He held her hand tightly in his own, stroking it in an effort to calm her.

"Good job, honey. You're almost there." Izumi looked into his devoted eyes, head reeling. His comforting smile was blurry. Even with an epidural, Izumi had never been in more pain or under more stress in her life.

"This is harder than any ninja mission!" She panted. Itachi chuckled.

"I believe you. You're very strong." Another scream as she pushed.

"Our baby does not want to come out," she observed, in a hazy, exasperated voice. How long had she been awake? It had been 3am when her contractions had started. Itachi had rushed the two of them out the door of their house in his arms, carrying them to the hospital in his arms. The hospital's staff had been on call ahead of time, and had been generous enough to set up in advance. Izumi had had only the very best doctors and nurses, yet it was still so painful. "I think I'm going to faint."

"You're not going to faint. You're almost there. I promise." Two more agonizing pushes seemed to last for an infinity. The nurses and her husband encouraged her the whole way. "I can see our baby's hair." Izumi looked down in an effort to see, but of course with the way she was positioned nothing was in view. Another burst of pain in her abdomen. Izumi squealed. Itachi wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"You're so beautiful," he told her softly, in a voice of awe.

"One or two more to go, and it will all be over," this time, it was her mother who comforted her. Soon, high pitched wails could be heard in all corners of the room. And despite the volume for such a small vessel, it was the sweetest happiest sound she had ever heard.

"It's a boy!" the other nurse announced. Dizzy, she turned to smile at her husband. He had guessed correctly. In another moment, Izumi's baby was in her arms.

Izumi teared up as she was filled with a sense of overwhelming love she had never felt for any living person before. She never knew how something so small and so fragile she just met could be so deeply precious to her all at once. It was as if somehow, she had given birth to her own heart. Her heart now had dark black, scraggly hair and his eyes were tight shut.

"He's so perfect," she whispered. Itachi leaned over to look, and Izumi could tell that he was overcome with the same emotion. The infant's onyx eyes opened and blinked up at her.

"He's looking at you..." Itachi pointed out, dazed.

"Hello sweetheart, I'm your Mommy," she smiled warmly. "It's so good to finally meet you." They spent a moment looking into each others eyes. Izumi's mother had often told her that no words could explain the feeling of being a mother. She had never understood why after giving birth, mothers believed that their children were the most beautiful things in the world. Now, holding him here, Izumi still wasn't sure she fully understood, but she did know one thing. Their son was absolutely the most beautiful precious thing she had ever seen. And there was nothing on Earth she wouldn't do for him. She gently squeezed the small bundle closer to her chest.

"I love you so much, my darling." She turned to Itachi. "Would you like to hold him?"

"If you are ready," Itachi nodded. She smiled and transferred their child into his arms. Itachi held his son, looking down at him with the most devoted, awestricken expression she had ever seen on him. Slowly, he held out his finger and five tiny fingers wrapped around it. Itachi looked almost as if he was having a religious experience.

"I have a son..." he whispered. Izumi smiled.

"He has your hair... You are going to be the best father, you know that?"

"What will you name him?" Her mother asked. They both looked at each other.

"Yasumaru," she said. It was a name they had decided on together in advance, and it was the name of her late father, and it also meant 'peaceful'. A more fitting name couldn't have been asked for.

"I'm sure he'd be honored," her mother said, smiling warmly.

Together, Izumi and Itachi held their child, talking to him and getting him to smile. It was now, finally together as a family, that Izumi knew what was in her heart was the same as what was in his. Before now, Izumi knew that Itachi would have given his life to protect her. Now, they both would lay down their lives without a moment's hesitation to protect the life of this baby.

* * *

Izumi was twenty five years old.

Yasu carefully put one foot in front of the other, raising both his arms in the air to keep himself balanced. He was headed towards her, grinning and giggling.

"Come to mommy, sweetheart!" She cooed, as Itachi stood beside her. His toddling was steady, and in another few steps, he landed in her arms. She laughed and lifted him up, blowing air against his belly making him giggle. It was exhausting at times, but there were no happier parents than Itachi and Izumi.

"He's taking twice as many steps as he was last week, isn't he?" Itachi commented, impressed. Across the room, Mikoto chuckled.

"How old is he now? It hasn't even been eight months yet has it?"

"It will be eight months tomorrow," Izumi smiled at her mother in law. She and Fugaku had offered to watch Yasu for a few hours today, to give the tired couple some rest.

"Just wait until the year is over. If he's anything like my son, he'll be talking full sentences in no time." Itachi chuckled, dismissing his father's comment.

"He'll grow at the rate that he grows. There's nothing wrong with developing slower than I did." Apparently, Itachi had begun to cruise along the edge of tables at five and a half months. Only when his feet grew to a size he could balance with, did he walk at seven months. Ever since Yasu had been born, Itachi's father had almost been waiting for their son to show his genetic 'stroke of genius'. That had never been their priority. Their goal was simply to raise him to be happy, and to be kind and compassionate. Yasu's job was not to be the protigy successor that would take his father's place when he grew old. Right now, his only joy was to be an innocent child and enjoy his childhood.

"Izumi, I still have a couple more hours of work before I can come home. Would you like to get a start on dinner and I'll be with you soon?" It was his mother who stopped him.

"There's no need for her to leave! Let us take him for the evening. You both must be exhausted. You can pick him up when he's ready." Izumi smiled gratefully and handed the baby to her, waving goodbye. Mikoto cooed at the baby, clearly happy to have a small one in her arms after all these years. When the door was closed, Izumi turned to her husband.

"I can't believe we actually have time alone." She made her way into his arms, where he held her with a smirk.

"We'll have to make sure not to let this time go to waste. And I have a plan. If you were to help by organizing the paperwork I've completed, we could be done in almost half the time. And after that, how would you like to go out for dinner?" Izumi chuckled as her husband ran his fingers down her back.

"We haven't done that in ages. I would love to." In married life, it was the simple times alone that were the greatest pleasures. And she knew he would leave enough time for a little romance later that night before they picked their son up.

It hadn't been over a year, and yet Itachi was already making substantial changes to the policies of the past. With his photographic memory, it took him half the time to fill out paperwork regarding missions, leaving them much more time each week for negotiations, conferences with other leaders, and ultimately new bylaws. Izumi sorted the completed mission paperwork into filing cabinets while Itachi finished writing his closing statement for a speech to the Land of Stone. If the speech and negotiations went as Itachi planned, the relations between the two villages would be peaceful for the first time in over fifty years.

"Do you think you'll ever need to take me to use that jutsu of mine this year?" Izumi inquired.

"Relations between the Sand, Stone and ourselves are as stable as they have been in a while. Perhaps when I take a trip to the Lightning village we could try it there." Izumi smiled. Her jutsu had improved, and she was happy he kept his promise to let her help by his side.

* * *

Izumi was twenty seven years old.

The world was in an even more stable condition than two years past, thanks to Itachi's leadership and Izumi's chakra infused persuasion.

Soon, Akemi was born. Labor went much more pleasantly, and she was out in less than an hour. The small girl had a mop of brown hair on her head, and big brown eyes. Today, she crawled after her big brother, cooing and squealing.

"Momma, Dadda, teach me how to use shurriken!" Yasumaru approached his parents with a sly, dreamy smile. Izumi chuckled at the small child.

"Sweetheart, you're much too young to learn that! You should be playing and enjoying your time as a kid! You only get to be young once." She patted his hair, which had begun to grow long and straight like his fathers. He would be styling it in a hair tie before long.

"Awwwh," the small pouted, reminiscent of his mother. "How bout you, Daddy? Teach me?" Itachi, who had been reading a newspaper, put it down to look at his son fondly.

"Maybe next year, Yasu. Go play." Izumi scooped up Akemi, placing her in her high chair to feed her.

"Are you sure that raising the required age to join the academy is the right move?" Izumi opened her mouth reflexively, mirroring her daughter's face as she began to spoon feed her daughter vegetable mush mixed with rice. Itachi nodded.

"Do you remember when we were at the academy, Izumi?" She thought back. For some reason, those days were such a foggy memory now. "Do you remember the students in our classes? So many children were so anxious to learn to fight that they played with shurriken as toys and sparred as if it was all a game. The notion that being a killer was 'fun' was ingrained into our culture and formed who we were as people. Yet we spent no time nurturing them as compassionate, ethical, responsible, wise individuals. Children should be given the opportunity to gain better judgement and character before they are taught to be a ninja. Children need to learn to value peace and negotiation above the rush of battle. Yasumaru will start at the ninja academy when he turns twelve. Akemi might start even later if the village is in favor of pushing the age back further."

"But what will they do with all of that energy? They're just children. Do you expect them to sit in a lecture all day learning about diplomacy?" Izumi's voice was teasing but Itachi remained completely serious.

"There are plenty of ways to educate young children these traits while keeping them engaged with their environment. Yasu will be one of the first to go to the new school. There, older genin and chuunin teachers will teach basic academics as well as taking them on service trips inside the village. They will learn through experience to reflect on the world and their role in it, while fully engaging with their peers and their environment. I have asked several ally villages to install similar programs. If all goes well, Yasumaru and his peers will have the opportunity to form bonds with children from other nations." Izumi smiled and walked over to her husband who was still reading. She wrapped him in her arms.

"You're a marvelous man, and an exceptional leader. You know that right?" Itachi looked up from the paper and kissed her.

"I'm just doing what must be done. All with your support of course," the woman chuckled and kissed him back. Even after these years of exhaustion and marriage, Itachi's lips brought her the same amount of happiness as their wedding day. He never ceased to make her feel young and beautiful. They were still young after all. Itachi and Izumi were interrupted by the sound of a soft splat on the ground. They looked up to find round eyed Akemi grinning innocently, face covered in mush. She had dropped a small fist full onto the floor. The baby gave a small squeal, as if to say "what?" making her parents laugh.

"I'll fix it," Izumi sighed, pulling herself away from the short break from reality.

"Speaking of fixing it, Izu, would you like to join me on my trip to the land of Stone next week? You might be quite useful at my negotiation if things get out of hand. You might be able to persuade them." His wife nodded, happily.

"Anywhere you need me to be, I'll be."

* * *

The meeting with the Land of Stone came and went without a problem thanks to their combined efforts. Of course, Izumi was not in any public office. Rather, it was Itachi who persuaded those sitting around the table to consider Izumi's effort to create a consensus. By now, Izumi's jutsu was becoming well known throughout the shinobi world, at least in terms of the leadership. And while initially, the stone feared it was a manipulative genjutsu, Itachi had explained what they know understood.

Izumi was not imprinting her will into the minds of others. She was simply connecting her own chakra to that of those around her, then expressing her own intention. If a person wished to go against her intention, there was nothing to stop them. Rather, with the jutsu causing people to become temporarily deeply connected, it was their nature as humans to continue to seek out that connection. One cannot go against and hurt another, if one no longer views that person as totally separate from themselves. Izumi's genjutsu had taken the chakra connectivity common in most Uchiha techniques and targeted it at the heart instead of the mind.

Understanding that the jutsu would not violate his free will, the Tsuchikage agreed to hear her out. And with the new consciousness that his actions would directly cause pain to someone who he could no longer separate from himself, he decided to go along with Itachi's plan. A new school would be installed in their village. A school that would deeply connect shinobi from many villages just as had happened in that room.

Itachi was beginning to make history. And Izumi worked proudly by his side.

Not that Izumi was always by his side. There were many days when the two would go their separate ways, Itachi to his office and Izumi to do work at home. And if she was honest with herself, she never once regretted her decision to retire as a shinobi. Her children were her heart, and they gave her more fulfillment than missions ever did. If the world was to change the way they wanted, Izumi needed to be here, supporting him.

Akemi slowly began to walk in small circles around a pillow, dizzying herself and losing her balance. She landed on the soft cushion with a small squeak, gleaming at her mother.

"Wee!" Izumi laughed, picked up her daughter, and brought her to the couch to blow air on her belly button.

"You silly girl you!" She teased the giggling toddler, feeling filled with happiness. Ten feet away, Yasumaru was fitting together multiple oddly shaped puzzle pieces into a cube. He twisted his hand to place the last three dimensional piece in place, and whooped in victory.

"Mommy, I did it!" Izumi looked over to her son and her mouth gaped open. Fugaku had given him the toy in hopes of assessing his intellectual capacities. Yasumaru was three years old. Izumi had never been able to complete it herself. She chuckled.

"You certainly are your father's child."

In the evenings, Itachi would come home slightly tired, but always happy to be with his family. This evening, he came through the door with his arms opened wide, wearing a big, fatherly grin.

"I'm home!" Yasumaru ran to jump in his father's arms, with little Akemi walking behind.

"Daddy!" Yasu attempted to tackle his father, so Itachi fell down, pretending to have been overpowered. Akemi took the opportunity to wrap herself around his leg. They laughed together in a pile, and Itachi looked up at Izumi who was looking at him fondly. Itachi was the perfect father, and seeing them so happy was the most beautiful thing.

After family dinner, they took turns putting the two to bed. Izumi would hum them a lullaby, or Itachi would read them a story, sometimes making them up on his own. When their son and daughter were finally sleeping peacefully, they would finally make their way into their own room to unwind for the day.

On this night, Itachi sat on the bed with his head lowered after a long day. Izumi sat next to him, gently removing his shirt.

"Akemi is beginning to speak in full sentences and Yasumaru figured out how to finish that puzzle," Izumi decided to inform him while slipping off her own dress. "We have smart kids."

"And you take care of them so perfectly. I never have to worry about the three of you when I'm away."

"It's my personal belief that being a parent takes the strength and skill of a chuunin."

"Then what would I ever do without you?" The man almost whispered, turning to her with a soft smile. Izumi chuckled, and they kissed. Itachi began to lean his weight into her, pushing her into the mattress with more kisses. Izumi landed comfortably, but stopped the gentle onslaught to look at him.

"Someone's a little eager tonight," the woman teased. "What has you in the mood so quickly? I thought you were tired."

"I've been sitting at a desk all day. I suppose I'm just restless," her husband said in his low, velvety, seductive voice. He began kissing her neck, but Izumi wasn't content just yet.

"Baby, are you sure? We've been doing this a lot lately... we already have two children..." Itachi twisted a strand of her long hair in between his fingers, looking down at her fondly.

"And what of it? Would you not like to have more? I'll be careful tonight, I promise. I just need you right now." Izumi thought of it, and concluded that indeed, having another child in time wouldn't be a bad thing. She smiled, and they kissed deeply.


End file.
